Photos by Rhonda McCole, Chris Haverly, Adam Dobbs
SUNDAY FINAL – CAPPS, TORRENCE, ANDERSON, GADSON HEADLINE WINNERS AT HISTORY-FILLED NHRA THUNDER VALLEY NATIONALS
Ron Capps made history Sunday, becoming the all-time wins leader at Bristol Dragway with a victory over Paul Lee in the final round of the 24th annual Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals. Capps’ victory, which snapped a 33-race drought, was his eighth at the track, allowing him to surpass Tony Schumacher for the most wins in Bristol history.
Also winning on the rain-hampered Sunday were Steve Torrence (Top Fuel), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock), and Ricky Gadson (Pro Stock Motorcycle).
Capps clocked a final run of 3.957 seconds at 328.06 mph in his NAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra, showcasing a strong performance after struggling in recent races. This triumph, his first since Indianapolis in 2023, moved him to fourth place in the points standings.
“We’re a single-car team, and we can’t lean on other teams so it’s been a little more difficult,” Capps said. “Even when we were struggling, I never once questioned Guido” – his crew chief, Dean Antonelli.
Capps defeated Matt Hagan, J.R. Todd, and Dave Richards on his way to the finals, turning in a classic performance. “This is a grueling track … it makes you feel like you’ve won a championship,” he added.
Paul Lee reached the final for the third time this season with wins over Chad Green, Buddy Hull, and Daniel Wilkerson to climb to second in the standings. Austin Prock was able to retain the Funny Car points lead despite a first-round loss for the second week in a row.
In Top Fuel, the four-time world champion Torrence secured his first win in nearly a year, defeating Justin Ashley with a run of 4.022 seconds at 325.37 mph. His last victory was in July 2023 at Seattle.
Torrence advanced past Dan Mercier, Clay Millican, and points leader Tony Stewart before dispatching Ashley.
“This was a tough day. The conditions were really tricky and I knew I had to be consistent,” Torrence said.
Torrence remains seventh in the points standings, but demonstrated potential for a championship run. “That’s a testament to (crew chief) Richard Hogan and Bobby Lagana,” he added.
Ashley recorded his third final round of the season after defeating Antron Brown, Brittany Force, and Shawn Langdon. Stewart continues to hold the top position by 76 points.
In Pro Stock, Anderson celebrated his 1,000th round win in the semifinals, then knocked off teammate Dallas Glenn with a run of 6.623, 205.91, in the finals. It was Anderson’s fourth victory of the season.
Anderson earned the milestone round win at the track where he earned his first Pro Stock victory in 2001. “This is pretty magical … I’m having too much damn fun right now,” he said.
Glenn, who qualified No. 1, reached the finals for the sixth time in seven races this season.
Gadson secured his first Pro Stock Motorcycle victory, defeating teammate Gaige Herrera with a run of 6.884 seconds. Gadson’s performance was marked by a strong .014-second reaction time that secured his win.
Gadson previously came up short in four finals but thrived in Bristol, defeating Charles Poskey in the first round, advancing with a bye run in Round Two, and going to the finals when Chase Van Sant red-lighted in the semis.
“This has been hands down the most exhausting thing I’ve ever done,” Gadson said.
Herrera, who reached the finals for the third time this year, remains in the points lead.
The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series continues June 20-22 with the fifth annual American Rebel Light Virginia NHRA Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park near Richmond, Va.
SATURDAY QUALIFYING – STEWART GETS HIS FIRST NHRA TOP FUEL NO. 1 QUALIFIER IN BRISTOL
Tony Stewart was stingy about the headlines on Saturday at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, and he had no remorse about it. The motorsports icon made a clean sweep of Saturday’s action at Bristol Dragway.
Austin Prock (Funny Car), Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) and Brayden Davis (Pro Stock Motorcycle) qualified No. 1 at the eighth of 20 races during the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.
Stewart qualified No. 1 for the first time in his year-plus Top Fuel career, going an impressive 3.755 seconds at 325.77 mph during the first session of the day. Making a pair of consistent passes could bode well for Sunday, too, as Stewart looks to add to his impressive streak. Along with a pair of wins this year, Stewart has advanced to five straight final rounds, and he will open eliminations against Cody Krohn in search of his first NHRA win at Bristol.
“We’ve got tricky conditions out here. I know a lot of work has gone on here since last year, and I appreciate the effort that Bristol has put into it. That plays into our hands,” Stewart said. “We don’t have a car that can go 3.64 or that runs 340 mph. I’m actually encouraged about last week. In Epping, we were able to throw down and we were respectable. To see what we did in these conditions, we feel like our program is just getting stronger and stronger.”
Justin Ashley qualified second with a 3.762, 330.80, and Shawn Langdon took the third spot thanks to Friday’s run of 3.800, 328.54.
Bristol Dragway continues to be good to defending event winner Prock, who qualified No. 1 at Thunder Valley for the second straight year (3.931 at 328.30). It’s the third No. 1 spot of the season for Prock and 21st of his career as he looks to repeat his 2024 victory. He made the quickest run in both sessions amidst Saturday’s tricky track conditions, and he will open raceday against Buddy Hull. Hull will aim to take down the reigning NHRA Funny Car champ for the second Sunday in a row.
“We came out today on a mission and made two nice runs. Our Q3 run was incredible,” Prock said. “The success rate in the right lane was small, but we went to the top. We ran low (E.T.) of both sessions, picked up six points, and had low E.T. That makes us feel good going into Sunday.
“Last week we had more of an edge. This time, there are a lot more cars close to us, and the ladder stacking is tight. We had all four seasons here today. The weather changed every five minutes. It’s tricky, but I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”
Alexis DeJoria qualified second with a 3.948, 328.14, and Ron Capps’ 3.960 at 324.51 from Friday put him third.
Glenn stayed in the No. 1 Pro Stock spot, earning the GESi Pro Stock No. 1 Qualifier Award in the process thanks to Friday’s run of 6.645, 205.60, in his RAD Torque Systems Chevrolet Camaro. It is the seventh career top qualifier for Glenn, who has already won three races this season. He’ll look to make it a fourth Sunday, starting with first-round opponent Fernando Cuadra Jr.
“Our last run was a really nice run but we’re still just picking away at it,” Glenn said. “The conditions are tricky, so it was great to go out on the last one and put down a really solid run. We put about .018-second on the field, and that’s pretty substantial in Pro Stock. I knew it was on a good one, and I just tried not to mess it up.
“After so many runs, you can tell when you’re on a good one. It picks the front end up and sets you back in the seat, and then when you hit the first couple of shift points, which are the most critical, you know it’s going to be good – and that one was.”
Greg Anderson is second with a run of 6.652 at 205.98 and Hartford is third after going an identical 6.652 but at 203.98.
Davis continued his magnificent weekend in Pro Stock Motorcycle, picking up his first career No. 1 qualifier in just his second NHRA start with a standout run of 6.834, 197.59, on a Powertrain/RevZilla/Vance & Hines Suzuki. His was the best bike Friday, and he was challenged Saturday, but lowered the boom to end the day with a standout run. It was a surreal moment for the young Davis.
“It’s hard to even believe to come out here and run with the best of the best,” Davis said. “Coming in here, I knew I had a good bike, and it was left up to me to see how well I could ride. Honestly, before my first run, I was nervous. Me and Andrew (crew chief Hines) are getting closer. Before the last pass, he said it’s going to hit me a little harder, and ‘if it makes it you’re going to the top.’ I definitely could feel the difference.
“It’s going to be a dogfight tomorrow, and I’m ready for it.”
Teammate Richard Gadson took the second qualifying position with a 6.859, 197.62, and Matt Smith is third thanks to a run of 6.871, 199.46.
Eliminations for the Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals begin at noon EDT on Sunday at Bristol Dragway.
#2FAST2TASTY – STEWART STOPS THE #2FAST2TASTY DOMINATION FROM KALITTA; TODD, A. STANFIELD, HERERRA WIN
Evidently, the best way to stop the Kalitta Motorsports Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty domination is to smoke them out.
Top Fuel points leader Tony Stewart did just that as he continued his run of milestones Saturday at Bristol Dragway. He claimed his first career Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge win during the 24th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals.
In the specialty final, Stewart posted a 3.803-second, 324.05-mph pass to defeat Doug Kalitta. The result ended Kalitta Motorsports’ unbeaten streak in the event, which had reached six victories this season.
“This is great, obviously. We’ve been in the final of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge and haven’t been able to finish it,” Stewart said. “Now, to win one and get our first low qualifier is big. For our team, it’s a huge accomplishment. We keep checking boxes off. We’ve got a car that is repeatable and consistent.”
J.R. Todd picked up his first Funny Car victory of the year in the Mission Challenge with a 4.004, 326.24, to defeat Jack Beckman in the final. The run followed a 3.987 in the opening round to eliminate Alexis DeJoria.
“I’ve said all along the more runs we make, the more data Dickie (Venables) can collect. You can’t learn if you don’t go down the track,” Todd said. “The car is responding to what Dickie is trying to do with it. This is definitely the track with the most character. You have to fight the car from half-track on. We’ve also had to dodge the weather. Hopefully, tomorrow the weather holds off.”
Aaron Stanfield added a Pro Stock win in the bonus race, running 6.668, 204.85 to edge Matt Hartford by .0004 seconds. The victory marked the first of the year for Stanfield and a step forward for the Elite Motorsports team.
“This does feel good. It’s the first thing we’ve won all year,” Stanfield said. “That was a really good race against Matt, and it shows how hard the Elite guys have worked and how much they’ve sacrificed. Hopefully, we can get a little momentum rolling. Our guys are getting us to within fighting distance.”
Gaige Herrera secured his second Pro Stock Motorcycle specialty win of the season, clocking a 6.891, 196.30 to beat Steve Johnson. Herrera also highlighted the Vance & Hines team’s success with Brayden Davis qualifying No. 1 in the same class.
“It’s awesome seeing him doing so well. I might be taking that bike back for tomorrow. He’s young and doing a phenomenal job,” Herrera said. “For Brayden to qualify No. 1 and me to get the Mission win, it’s awesome for the whole Vance & Hines team. It’s amazing what our guys are able to do with three different bikes.”
Final eliminations are scheduled to begin at noon EDT on Sunday.
FRIDAY QUALIFYING – LANGDON, DEJORIA, GLENN, DAVIS LEAD BRISTOL FRIDAY QUALIFYING
Shawn Langdon claimed the provisional No. 1 spot in Top Fuel on Friday at a weather-shortened opening day of the 24th annual Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway.
Alexis DeJoria (Funny Car), Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock), and Brayden Davis (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also posted provisional top qualifying runs during the eighth of 20 races in the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.
Langdon clocked a 3.800, 328.54 pass in his Kalitta Air Careers dragster during Top Fuel’s only session of the day. If it stands, it would mark his first No. 1 qualifier of the season and 22nd of his career, ending teammate Doug Kalitta’s run of four straight poles.
“I feel great about that,” Langdon said. “That’s what we were shooting for and that coincides with what the crew chief (Brian Husen) was shooting for. This car got away from us the last few races, so we re-addressed a few areas. We found a couple little issues. We came here and set it up like a 3.80 run and it ran 3.80. I’d call that dead-on.
“Not everything goes to plan all the time. In a perfect situation, that’s what it was going to do. That run was super safe. They also did a good job on the track here in Bristol. Afterwards it looked like a pretty effortless run.”
Josh Hart ran a 3.860, 324.67 to sit second, with Justin Ashley third at 3.886, 323.35.
DeJoria moved to the top of the Funny Car order with a 3.948, 328.14 before rain halted the session with one pair remaining.
“After Q1, I was surprised that we were going to get another run. We ran a 3.94 and that was a great run. That was exactly what we planned on. We had one pair left and it started raining so here we are,” DeJoria said. “This is my favorite race track not just because of my past success. The acoustics here, nothing compares to it. The scenery and the fans; It’s all so great. Today, we dealt with a lot of humidity and heat. We didn’t want to put too much into it and lose a run.
Ron Capps is second with a 3.960, 324.51, and Jack Beckman third with a 3.971,323.74.
In Pro Stock, Glenn jumped to the top spot with a 6.645, 205.60 during the second qualifying session.
“In Epping on the Friday run, we hurt my main engine and got behind the rest of the weekend, and that cost me a little bit,” Glenn said. “We went back to the shop and the engine guys hustled this week and fixed up the old bullet. We came here and didn’t put down a good run (in Q1), and on the second one we threw kitchen sink at it and it stuck.
“From week to week, there is not a lot of time to sulk from your wounds after losing early. You swallow really quick, put your head down and get back to work.”
Glenn is seeking his second No. 1 qualifier of the season and the seventh of his career. He enters the weekend ranked second in points behind KB Titan Racing teammate Greg Anderson, who qualified second at 6.655. Aaron Stanfield is third after posting a 6.666, 204.32 mph.
Making just his second career Pro Stock Motorcycle start, Brayden Davis surged to the top of the class with a 6.870, 197.22.
“It was definitely unbelievable to be with a powerhouse team like Vance & Hines and get the No. 1 spot,” Davis said. “I ran 6.89 and 6.87, and that proves the bike is deadly consistent. Andrew (Hines, crew chief) is helping me as a rider.
“This isn’t a bad start, but I’ve now got a target on my back – but it’s nothing I haven’t seen before. I’ve always been the kind of person where pressure doesn’t get to me, and I’ve raced in some pretty bizarre situations.”
Teammate Richard Gadson is second with a 6.879, 195.93, followed by Angie Smith with a 6.907, 196.53.
Qualifying resumes Saturday at 12:30 p.m. EDT at Bristol Dragway.
BOBBY BENNETT: LOGIC AND MORE TECH OFFICIALS COULD HAVE PREVENTED A DEBACLE